ATP TOUR - MELBOURNE

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who have combined to win nine of the past 13 Australian Open titles, are set to lead the field at Australia’s Grand Slam championship in 2021.

Djokovic, the eight-time champion who has claimed back-to-back titles Down Under, tops the entry list as the No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings. The Serbian owns a 75-8 record at the season’s first major, where he is a perfect 8-0 in finals.

Nadal, the 2009 titlist, has found

great consistency in Melbourne. The Spaniard has only lost before the quarter-finals once since 2005, and he has earned four runner-up finishes.

Two players to keep an eye on are World No. 3 Dominic Thiem and World No. 4 Daniil Medvedev. Thiem claimed his first Grand Slam title at this year’s US Open, and he

had previously reached three major finals. The Austrian was close to a Slam breakthrough at the

2020 Australian Open, where

he pushed Djokovic to

a fifth set in the championship

match.

Medvedev finished the season in peak form. The Russian lifted the biggest trophy of his career at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he became the first player to beat the top three players in the ATP Rankings at the season finale. Medvedev’s best run at a major came at the 2019 US Open, where he made the final.

Six-time champion Roger Federer is on the entry list. The Swiss star last competed at this year’s Aus-tralian Open due to a knee injury, which required two surgeries.

The tournament will take place from February 8-21.

Melbourne. The ost before the

had previously reached three majofinals. The Austrian was close to

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ACL: No virus cases reported during East Zone games, final in Qatar

SportSATURDAY 26 DECEMBER 2020

Paine wary as India make 4 changes for Melbourne TestWe can’t pay any attention to mental scares or whatever anyone is talking about. I mean, India is a proud cricket country, they are an extremely talented Test match side with lots of dangerous players.

Sport | 15Tim PaineAustralia captain

Paine wary as Ind

QATAR SENIOR VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE: Al Arabi beat Al Gharafa 3-1 (25-16, 15-19, 20-25, 25-15); Al Ahli beat Al Khor 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 26-24)

AFC – DOHA

The overwhelming success of the expert planning, comprehensive testing and medical protocols put in place for the AFC Champions League (ACL) East Zone games and the final held in Qatar ensured the health protection of all players, match officials and stakeholders.

Working in close co-operation with the Qatar Football Association (QFA), the Qatari Authorities, espe-cially the medical teams, and the Local Organising Committee (LOC), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conducted 12,139 tests between November 9 and December 19, 2020 and no positive

tests were recorded among those in the bio-secure bubble.

The strict application of the ‘AFC Match Operations Protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic’ proved extremely effective during the AFC Champions League which was won by Ulsan Hyundai FC of Korea Republic in Saturday’s final at the Al Janoub Stadium - watched by the AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa along with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

The introduction by the AFC and the LOC of a stringent set of health protocols, taking guidance from the key operational principles applied to all local football events in Qatar, also allowed spectators up to 30%

of the stadium capacity the oppor-tunity to witness the Continental club showpiece ‘live’.

And a further 10,000 Rapid Antigen tests were conducted to ensure that the spectators could attend the exciting final with con-fidence. All the tests carried out returned negative results.

The AFC Champions League (East) also enjoyed another mile-stone when the first women Medical Officers - Dr. Zohreh Haratian and Dr. Bahar Hassanmiraei, from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Janis Ann Figueroa Espino-De Vera, from the Philippines and Dr. Liesel Geertsema of New Zealand – were appointed in an AFC men’s club

competition as part of the nine-strong AFC Medical team.

With Qatar staging the FIFA Club World Cup in February and the FIFA Arab Cup later in 2021, the AFC Champions League provided the perfect rehearsal and Nasser Al Khater, Chief Executive Officer, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC said.

"By staging the AFC Champions League West and East Zone matches up to the Final itself, Qatar has set the benchmark in hosting tourna-ments of this magnitude, across multiple venues, and within strict bubble-to-bubble measures,” Al Khater said.

“The efforts and diligence of

multiple stakeholders across several months, coupled with the implementation of seamless health and safety protocols, enabled the safe resumption of football with thousands of supporters in the stadium in spite of the chal-lenges posed by COVID-19. We are hopeful we have created a blueprint for the wider football family around future global events against the current COVID-19 b a c k d r o p , ” Al Khater added.

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Qatar down Tunisia 33-30 in Friendly Tournament openerTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

Asian champions Qatar recorded a hard-fought 33-30 win over Tunisia in the opening match of the Friendly International handball Tournament at Duhail Sports Hall yesterday.

The victory against the 10-time African champions will surely be a morale booster for the former World Championship silver medallists Qatar who are gearing up for the next edition of the IHF World Champi-onship that will take place from January 13 to 31 in Egypt.

African runners-up Tunisia yes-terday took an early lead before the hosts levelled the scores at two.

The Tunisians were once again in the lead after scoring back to back goals while Qatar’s score stood at four. Qatar again fought back to level the scores at eight and didn’t look back thereafter.

The hosts scored in regular intervals while Tunisians tried to catch up with them after trailing 8-12 behind. Qatar were leading 18-14 at halftime.

After the break, Tunisians made several attempts to comeback in the match but Qatar were smart enough to make use of most of the opportu-nities to score.

At one stage, Qatar led by eight goals at 28-20. Tunisia, des-perately in need of a heroic fightback, then scored four in a

row to narrow the gap.

However, Al Annabi did not allow the visitors to make any upsets and went on to win the opener.

The five-day event of continental giants, being staged as part of preparations for the next month’s World Handball Championships in Egypt.

Al Annabi will next face South

American winners Argentina tomorrow at 6pm after European champions Spain open their campaign against Tunisia at 4pm.

The third day of the event will see Argentina taking on S p a i n b e f o r e squaring off with

Tunisia on the final day, with Qatar wrapping up the event in anticipated match against Spain.

Qatar, in preparations for the IHF World, underwent several training camps in the last few months besides featuring in a number of friendly matches including games against top clubs of Qatar.

At next month’s IHF event, Al Annabi, drawn in Group C, open their campaign against Angola in what will be a rematch of one of the most memorable matches from 2019 World Championships. The EURO 2020 runners-up Croatia and Japan are the other teams in their group.

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY TOURNAMENT:

REMAINING FIXTURESTOMORROW

4pm: Spain vs Tunisia6pm: Qatar vs Argentina

DECEMBER 286pm: Argentina vs Spain

DECEMBER 294pm: Tunisia vs Argentina

6pm: Qatar vs Spain

Qatar's Rafael Capote (left) prepares to score against Tunisia during the opening match of the International Friendly

Tournament took place a Al Duhail Indoor Stadium yesterday.

Al Gharafa's Diego Deslandes smashes the ball during the Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA) Senior Men's League match played at QVA Indoor Arena yesterday. Al Arabi beat Al Gharafa 3-1 with a 25-16, 15-19, 20-25, 25-15 scoreline. Later, at the same venue, Al Ahli beat Al Khor 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 26-24).

Al Khor and Al Ahlam players vie for the ball possession during their match of the 3x3 basketball competition on Day 6 of the QOC Beach Games at Aspire Zone yesterday. Al Ahlam won the game 15-09. Apart from 3x3 basketball, men's handball and women's handball. The event is one of the community events and activities organised by QOC annually to take all individuals of the society to greater standards of health and physical fitness.

QVA League: Al Arabi, Al Ahli record victories

QOC Beach Games: 3x3 Basketball grabs limelight

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15SATURDAY 26 DECEMBER 2020Sport

Paine wary as India make 4 changes for MelbourneAFP — MELBOURNE

Skipper Tim Paine yesterday called India a proud nation that won’t roll over in the Boxing Day Test, and Australia must be “bang on the mark” to inflict more misery after their Adelaide collapse.

Australia head into the second Test in Melbourne full of confidence after thumping the visitors by eight wickets inside three days last week, skittling them for an embar-rassing 36 in the second innings.

But Paine said it would be a mistake to underestimate India despite the tourists missing superstar captain Virat Kohli, who has returned home for the birth of his first child.

They are also without pace spearhead Mohammed Shami, who has reportedly fractured his wrist.

“We can’t pay any attention to mental scares or whatever anyone is talking about,” Paine said of India, who were savaged at home for their Adelaide capitulation.

“I mean, India is a proud cricket country, they are an extremely talented Test match side with lots of dangerous players.”

India have made four changes to their team, with Shubman Gill in for out-of-form opener Prithvi Shaw and Mohammad Siraj replacing Shami.

Rishabh Pant takes over from Wriddhiman Saha as wicketkeeper while experi-enced allrounder Ravindra Jadeja is back from injury.

In contrast, Australia are expected to name the same XI.

Paine said Australia had studied everyone in the Indian squad and they were ready for whoever took the field.

“We know that some of the players they’re talking about coming in to their side ... are dangerous players who like

to take the game on and will play positively,” he said ahead of India’s team announcement.

“If we give players like that an inch they will take a mile, so we need to be bang on the mark tomorrow as we were in Adelaide and be prepared to turn up for another five day battle.”

A j i n k y a Rahane, who has assumed the captaincy, said he didn’t plan to disturb Kohli as he pre-pares for his wife to give birth, but said they spoke at length before he left.

“ V i r a t s p o k e t o

all of us before leaving Adelaide, about being positive, just playing to our strengths and just to play as a team, as a unit, which is what we have been doing for so many years,” he said.

“The last Test match, we had, comparatively, two good days and just one bad one

where we lost it completely.

“This week was all about backing ourselves as individuals and as a team, playing to our

strengths,” he added. “What is important

for all of us is to start well tomorrow ... staying in

the moment w i l l

really help.” Both teams have been living in bio-secure bubbles to ensure the series goes ahead in the new corona-virus world and Paine admitted it was easier to do so when you were winning.

This was another incentive for his team to again put India to the sword at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where up to 30,000 fans will be allowed each day -- around one-third capacity.

“We have been on overseas tours before when we have been bowled out for 50 and it can be really difficult, that’s why it’s so important for us to turn up tomorrow with the attitude that we turned up with in the first Test,” he said.

“We know they’re not going to roll over, we’re going to have to work our backsides off to get them in a position like we did in Adelaide. “If we can do it again, then Tests three and four can become a real battle for them.”

Australia coach Justin Langer (centre) watches his players with Steve Smith (left) and Marcus Harris during a training session ahead of the second Test match against India, in Melbourne, yesterday.

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NZ primed for Pakistan series as Test final loomsAFP — MOUNT MAUNGANUI

New Zealand start their last push to make the World Test championship final today in the first Test against an injury-hit Pakistan at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.

The Black Caps are full of confidence coming off a com-prehensive 2-0 series win against the West Indies, and need to produce a similar result in the two Pakistan Tests.

India and Australia head New Zealand on the Test c h a m p i -o n s h i p ladder, but if India

continue to struggle and New Zealand sweep the series against an under-strength Pakistan, it could be enough to see the Black Caps at Lord’s for the final in June.

But captain Kane Wil-liamson, who missed the second Test against the West Indies to be with his wife for the birth of their first child, refuses to look at the big picture.

“I think the context of that (Test championship) is

great for the game in general, but our focus, as it was in the last couple of Tests, is to basically start again and adapt to the conditions that we’re going to have,” he said.

“So its coming back to those

basics for us and basically playing what is in front of us rather than getting

too carried away with potential eventual things, who knows?”

Pakistan’s preparations were hit this week with Shadab Khan ruled out with a thigh injury to join Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq on the sidelines.

Coach Misbah-ul-Haq said he was “confident and opti-mistic” other players would step up, but the odds are stacked against the tourists.

They rank seventh in the world while New Zealand are equal on points with Australia at the top.

New Zealand present a settled line up with the only

question over whether they will play spinner Mitchell Santner or all-rounder in Daryl Mitchell.

Ross Taylor is assured of starting at number three, which will make him the most capped New Zealand player with 438 appearances across all three formats. But he has struggled of late with an average of 18.3 over his past 10 innings which is not good enough for a spe-cialist batsman particularly with form batsmen W i l l Y o u n g a n d Devon

Conway waiting in the wings. Henry Nicholls faced similar pressure in the middle order going into the West Indies series but secured his place for the near future when he produced a capable 174 in the second West Indies Test.

The Bay Oval ground is expected to produce a lively green New Zealand wicket which will suit the New Zealand attack but stand-in Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan said it could also benefit his side.

“It doesn’t matter if (the pitch) has grass on it. The grass is the same for us as it is for the New Zealand side.

It all depends on hard work. Whoever does the hard work is going to get the result,” he said.

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Mohammad Rizwan

Kane Williamson

Virus forces FIFA to postpone U-20, U-17 World CupsAGENCIES — PARIS

FIFA has postponed next year’s U-20 World Cup in Indonesia and U-17 tour-nament in Peru until 2023 due to coronavirus.

“The Covid-19 pan-demic continues to present challenges for the hosting of international sporting events and to have a restrictive effect on inter-national travel, explained football’s governing body in a statement on its website.

“The global situation has failed to normalise to a sufficient level to address the challenges associated with hosting both tourna-ments, including the fea-sibility of the relevant qualification pathways.”

It added that FIFA looked forward to working with both host countries “to organise successful tournaments” in 2023.

The two events follow othr international football competitions to fall victim to the virus, with Euro 2020 held over until next June, the Copa America moved to the same date, and the Africa Cup of Nations, held over until January 2022.

Meanwhile, CON-CACAF will have four direct berths for the expanded Women’s World Cup in 2023, and two more teams from the region will have a chance to join them via a 10-team play-off tournament.

The United States, Canada, and Jamaica rep-resented the confederation covering North and Central America and the Caribbean at the 24-team World Cup in France last year. A fourth CONCACAF country, Panama, had a chance to qualify, but lost 5-1 to Argentina on aggregate in a home-and-away CONCACAF-CON-MEBOL play-off.

Coach Boucher confident of SA's chances against SLAFP — CENTURION

South African coach Mark Boucher (pictured) believes his team is capable of defeating Sri Lanka in the two-Test series which starts at SuperSport Park in Centurion today.

“We’re in a rebuilding phase and we’ve got some youngsters around but we’re playing in conditions that suit us better than the opposition,” said Boucher yesterday.

“If we hit our straps and execute the plans we’ve put in place I think we’ll give our-selves a very good chance to win against them.”

Sri Lanka have won their most recent four Tests against South Africa, including a shock 2-0 series win on their tour two seasons ago.

“I didn’t watch a lot of it,” Boucher said of the 2018/19 series, “but it’s something we can channel to our advantage. We can’t just coast into this as a team.”

South Africa have a strong record at Centurion, which includes wins in all four pre-vious Tests against Sri Lanka at the venue.

Boucher said there were “a couple of niggles” involving fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Glenton Stuurman that would delay the final selection of a playing eleven. Sri Lanka also have an injury concern, with Suranga Lakmal nursing a hamstring strain.

Fanless games resemble training sessions: Matic

REUTERS — BELGRADE

Premier League matches without fans in attendance look like blueprint copies of each other and resemble training sessions, Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic said yesterday.

No supporters were allowed to watch games when the league resumed in June following the shutdown in March due to t h e c o r o n a v i r u s pandemic.

Up to 2,000 fans were permitted to attend matches this month in some areas of the country, but a resurgence in COVID-19 cases means Liverpool and Everton are the only Premier League clubs who will be allowed to welcome fans.

“It’s come down to having games which all look like carbon copies of each other resembling training sessions with no fans in the stadiums,” Matic said. “The corona-virus pandemic has made the circumstances much different and I am sure that Liverpool would never have lost to Aston Villa 7-2 if fans had been present.

India Expats win Qatar National Day tourneyTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

India Expats clinched the Asian Communities T10 Cricket Tournament title after defeating Bangladesh Expats in the final at Asian Town Cricket Stadium yesterday. Qatar Cricket Association (QCA) organised the four-team event of Asian communities to cele-brate the Qatar National Day. In the final, India Expats overcame their Bang-ladeshi counterparts by 37 runs. After amassing 144 runs in the allotted overs, the winners restricted their opponents to 107 runs to secure the title. Earlier, India Expats defeated Pakistan Expats by 18 runs while Bangladesh Expats confirmed final berth with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka Expats. Also yesterday, a women's match was played, which saw Team Pink defeating Team Yellow by 7 wickets. The event was held after ensuring all COVID-19 preventive measures. Team India Expats’ players and officials celebrate with the trophy yesterday. PIC: ABDUL BASIT/THE PENINSULA